The Colonel's Dream
Page 34
_Thirty-four_
The funeral took place next day, from the Episcopal Church, in whichcommunion the little boy had been baptised, and of which old Peter hadalways been an humble member, faithfully appearing every Sundaymorning in his seat in the gallery, long after the rest of his peoplehad deserted it for churches of their own. On this occasion Peter had,for the first time, a place on the main floor, a little to one side ofthe altar, in front of which, banked with flowers, stood the whitevelvet casket which contained all that was mortal of little Phil. Thesame beautiful sermon answered for both. In touching words, therector, a man of culture, taste and feeling, and a faithful servant ofhis Master, spoke of the sweet young life brought to so untimely anend, and pointed the bereaved father to the best source ofconsolation. He paid a brief tribute to the faithful servant andhumble friend, to whom, though black and lowly, the white people ofthe town were glad to pay this signal tribute of respect andappreciation for his heroic deed. The attendance at the funeral, whileit might have been larger, was composed of the more refined andcultured of the townspeople, from whom, indeed, the church derivedmost of its membership and support; and the gallery overflowed withcoloured people, whose hearts had warmed to the great honour thus paidto one of their race. Four young white men bore Phil's body and thesix pallbearers of old Peter were from among the best white people ofthe town.
The double interment was made in Oak Cemetery. Simultaneously bothbodies were lowered to their last resting-place. Simultaneously asheswere consigned to ashes and dust to dust. The earth was heaped abovethe graves. The mound above little Phil's was buried with flowers, andold Peter's was not neglected.
Beyond the cemetery wall, a few white men of the commoner sort watchedthe proceedings from a distance, and eyed with grim hostility theNegroes who had followed the procession. They had no part nor parcelin this sentimental folly, nor did they approve of it--in fact theydisapproved of it very decidedly. Among them was the colonel'sdischarged foreman, Jim Green, who was pronounced in his denunciation.
"Colonel French is an enemy of his race," he declared to hissympathetic following. "He hires niggers when white men are idle; andpays them more than white men who work are earning. And now he isburying them with white people."
When the group around the grave began to disperse, the little knot ofdisgruntled spectators moved sullenly away. In the evening they mighthave been seen, most of them, around Clay Jackson's barroom. Turner,the foreman at Fetters's convict farm, was in town that evening, andJackson's was his favourite haunt. For some reason Turner was moresociable than usual, and liquor flowed freely, at his expense. Therewas a great deal of intemperate talk, concerning the Negro in jail forshooting Haines and young Fetters, and concerning Colonel French asthe protector of Negroes and the enemy of white men.